IRVINE, CA - Award-winning national firm KTGY Group, Inc., Architecture and Planning, announced that KTGY’s Principal and knowledge leader Manny Gonzalez, AIA, LEED AP, will be speaking at the AHF Live! The Affordable Housing Developers’ Summit, held November 14-16, 2012, at the Fairmont Millennium Park Hotel in Chicago, IL. Gonzalez is a frequent guest speaker and panelist at various industry events and webinars. This is the first time that AHF Live! has included a panel on architectural design.

Gonzalez will be a speaker at the session, "Innovative Cost-Effective Design Strategies," on Friday, November 16, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon. According to Gonzalez, the amount being spent on LIHTC projects is under growing scrutiny from political and public forces. The panel of experts including general contractors and developers will share the latest in cost-effective construction and design strategies that will help attendees keep costs down while still meeting state and local policies.

“We want to discuss whether or not utilizing the latest in USGBC’s LEED strategies enable affordable housing developers to realize short-term and/or long-term benefits at the property operations level as well as inside the residents' homes with reduced utility costs," Gonzalez said.

"It is a challenge to strike a balance between providing a community that is sustainable and amenity-rich when you are restricted by the amount of rent that you can charge. Certainly higher densities help the bottom line," noted Gonzalez.

According to Gonzalez, the industry continues its trend towards higher densities with garden apartments now approaching 40 du/ac and Type 3A product becoming more common with densities nearing 200 du/ac as developers to take advantage of the recent changes in the building code and cost efficiencies.

"Creative yet cost-effective amenities like “laundramuts” (pet bathing and grooming areas) and bike shops located within the apartment community, the use of energy-efficient fixtures and appliances as well as advancements in engineered building products and mechanical systems, have allowed developers to provide popular amenities and sustainability without dramatically increasing construction cost," said Gonzalez.

"At AHF Live! we will discuss how to select the right development team, product selection, density choices and the sticks and bricks (including MEP systems) that can make or break an affordable project," said Gonzalez. "Attendees will also learn about the finishing touches (interior and exterior finishes and landscaping), amenity packages, value engineering, sustainable design and energy efficiency comparing first time cost vs. net operating income (NOI) to increase understanding of what makes an affordable project financially successful."

Gonzalez is the Senior Partner in KTGY Group's Santa Monica office and is also President of KTGY Group, Colorado. He is responsible for the design, land planning and production of residential developments throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado as well as active adult and affordable multi-family communities nationwide. In his more than 25 years of practice in residential development, Gonzalez has won numerous awards for his outstanding designs.

Gonzalez is currently on the Board of Directors for PCBC and is the Chair of the Design Trends Forum. He also sits on the Board of the National Multi Housing Council and the NAHB Multifamily Leadership Board. He has served as Chair of the AIA Housing Committee, and a member of the BIA Board of Directors and national committees for The 50+ Symposium and University of Housing. He has been featured in Builder & Developer’s list of "Who’s Who in Homebuilding" for many years and was honored with the SAGE "Person of the Year" by BIA Southern California 55+ Housing Council. Gonzalez has written and contributed to scores of articles on residential design and has presented his observations to audiences at numerous local, regional and national conferences.

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